But these people persevered in the face of continual rejection and succeeded. The same goes for cold emailing, where “no” often means “not right now.”

When people say things like “I’m not interested” or “it’s too expensive” early on, they’re likely not saying no to your product, service, or proposal.

Sales coach and author Keith Rosen said, “What they are really saying is, I’m saying ‘No’ or a form of ‘No’ because you haven’t given me enough of a compelling reason to buy from you or have satisfied all of my concerns and priorities.”

Understanding the small—but crucial—difference between a real “no” and a “not right now” can make the difference between closing the deal or forever missing out.

Here are five ways to tell whether ‘no’ really means “no,” and what you can do about it.

1. You Haven’t Followed Up Enough

“Only 30% of cold emails receive a response on the first try,” according to Yesware.

If you don’t follow up, don’t expect a response.

If they haven’t replied, it doesn’t mean they’re not interested.

But take heart, because there’s a 21% chance of receiving a reply to your second email, and a 25% chance on your third.

So why then do 70% of salespeople not follow up at all?

This is staggering when you consider that it takes an average of 5 follow-ups to close a sale.

You need to follow upat least four times to significantly improve your chances of success.

“You want to avoid the typical ‘checking in’ or ‘I haven’t heard back’ follow-ups. Instead, try to bring value,” says Justin McGill, founder of LeadFuze. “Use a case study for one follow-up, ask a question for another follow-up, link to a relevant blog post for another, or focus on a different benefit than what you did in your previous emails.”

Also, when you follow up, use ‘Re:’ in your subject line. A study by ContactMonkey found emails using “Re:” have much higher open rates than any other subject line.

“It means give, give, give—and then ask,” Vaynerchuk explains. “My problem was that 97% of marketers on social networks think they’re in the “right hook, right hook, right hook” business, where every Facebook post, every blog post, every tweet on Twitter is trying to sell something.”

Instead of pitching people directly, give value without getting anything in return first.

“It’s just like interacting with your neighbor across the street,” Bryan Harris, founder of Videofruit, says. “If one day I asked her for an egg, she’d come running. It’s basic human behavior. If you give someone something, they’ll want to give you something back.”

Save them time, provide a personalized sample, give them a free trial, etc. Don’t just go straight for the sale.

When you do ask for something, ask for it. Don’t just drop in the link or resource and expect it.

For example, Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media was recently sending out emails for his annual blogger survey.

We know each other, yet I didn’t respond to the first two emails. I wanted to but got busy.

The third follow-up attempt pulled me in, though.

You’ll notice that there’s still no forced survey link. He waited until there was a response before sending it over.

3. They’re Still Wondering, “What’s In It For Me?”

You painstakingly crafted the perfect cold email, made an effort to establish trust, followed up, and have finally received a response… that says they’re not interested.

But, you’re not out of the game yet. Perhaps it’s a case of ‘WIIFM’—”what’s in it for me”?

Remember, people buy when it solves a problem or benefits them in some way.

So ask yourself: Do they see how your proposal will meet their needs? Do they understand the benefits? Do they feel your product has perceived value?

If you haven’t demonstrated the benefits of your proposal to the recipient, they’re not going to bite.

To remedy this, don’t tell them about the features, show them the benefits.

Thanks for taking the time to [talk to me about, consider, download a trial of] product X. I understand if it’s not a fit and [wish you the best with Y opportunity, hope you find a solution to Z problem].

I’m sure you’ve got a lot going on, but if you have a minute, would you mind telling me which two or three things would’ve changed your mind?

I’m always trying to improve and would really appreciate the feedback.

Best,

[Your name]

By sending a break-up email, you may just shock the relationship back into life. And if not, at least you know where you stand and can move on to other opportunities.

5. “No” Really Does Mean “No”

Alas, some things are not meant to be.

We often hear that a sale starts with “no,” or that you should expect to hear “no” ten times before you make a sale.

If you’ve tried all of the strategies above, and are still facing a “no,” it looks like it’s time to move on.

Jim Keenan, CEO of A Sales Guy Inc, said, “Continuing to chase an opportunity after a ‘no’ takes time. It takes away from other opportunities. There is a cost to chasing after the no.”

Keep an eye on that opportunity cost—at some point, the scales will tip, and it will become counter-productive to continue chasing a cold lead.

If they respond to your break-up email with a “no”—or they don’t respond at all—send them a final email. In it, politely let them know you’re available if they ever want to reconnect and thank them for their time.

Then, move on.

Cold email someone else and then go back to the first strategy on this list: following up!

Conclusion

“No” doesn’t always mean “no” when it comes to cold emailing.

The tell-tale signs are there if you look for them. And there’s always an action you can take to move the relationship forward, whether towards closing or to let the prospect go.